Cooking apparatus of the type having a lower cooking platen and a movable upper cooking platen, sometimes referred to as clamshell cooking apparatus or clamshell grills, are well known. Some prior art patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,165,682; 4,483,239; 4,601,237 and 4,700,619 disclose clamshell grills in which heating of the lower platen can be by either gas burners, radiant heat or electric heaters, with the upper platen is heated by electric heaters. U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,428 discloses a clamshell grill in which a plurality of electrical heaters are provided for heating different areas of the lower platen, and with other electrical heaters for heating the upper platen. Clamshell grills of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,428 have also been made by the assignee of the present invention, in which the upper cooking platen was arranged for two-sided cooking only on a rearward portion of the lower platen that is spaced a substantial distance from the forward edge of the lower platen, and with separate electrical heaters for the rearward and forward portion of the lower platen so arranged that the electrical heaters for only the rearward portion are operated during two-sided cooking on the rearward portion of the lower platen, and in which the electrical heaters for both the rearward and the forward portions of the lower platen are operated during single sided cooking on the lower platen.
Clamshell type grills are commonly used in restaurants and fast food establishments where floor space is at a premium. It is accordingly desirable to minimize the floor area required by the cooking apparatus at the rear and sides of the lower cooking platen. In clamshell type grills, mechanism is required for swingably supporting, counterbalancing and actuating the upper platen between its lower and raised position, and this mechanism is commonly located at the rear of the lower cooking platen. In addition, in gas fired clamshell grills it is necessary to vent the combustion products to an exhaust outlet usually located at the rear of the cooking apparatus. Further, the American National Standard for Gas Food Service Equipment requires convenient means be provided for observing the flames of the burners when the cooking apparatus is installed. If the means for observing the flames is located at either or both sides of the cooking apparatus, then additional floor space would be required at the sides of the cooking apparatus.